MUMBAI: Music, women, travel and stories of grit – that’s a lethal concoction for any TV show. It’s also one that’s not easy to brew.
MTV India, which has veered from western to Indian music and youth to yuppie in the nearly two decades of its existence in the country, has homed in on exactly this combination to woo its ever evolving audience.
It’s new Angels of Rock is evocative of a changing India. The four protagonists the channel has chosen as the show’s vehicles, are four young singers from different backgrounds. These are women of substance who at a young age have broken the mould in their own small way. If they have not really broken through the glass ceiling of the capricious Indian music industry, they have at least made a dent in the scheme of things. And are not, like many of their ilk, afraid to speak their voice.
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Angels of Rock is a series that will have the four women musicians making music as they travel across the country on Bullet motorcycles, no less, and meet up with women achievers from all walks of life. The singers who feature on the show are Jasmine Sandlas, who was last seen singing ‘Raat Jashan Di’ with Yo Yo Honey Singh, Shalmali Kholgade of ‘Pareshaan’ fame, Akasa Singh of ‘India’s Raw Star’ fame and Anusha Mani of ‘Gulaabo’ fame.
On their road trip, these talented singers will discover different stories. Some of these stories will include tales along the Wagah Border, women BSF personnel, the all-women Jaipur fire brigade, the all-women solar engineers at Ajmer and a radio station at Ahmedabad manned only by women.
The show’s premise revolves around showscasing female power, its purpose lies in saying ‘yes, we can’. In opting for a reality format, MTV has shrewdly managed to bring in the credibility that such a genre offers. It is also tricky ground – the channel’s job will be to ensure that the four musicians of substance are able to empathise, bond with and translate onto camera a camaraderie with the real heroines of this country who have probably never engaged with a TV camera. It is exactly this ruggedly feminine aspect of this show that should work with audiences currently spoilt for viewing choices across digital platforms. It offers it all – original music, travel delights and storytelling.
The first episode introduced viewers to the four – walking with them as they were introduced to the concept of the show, sharing their surprise at being asked to bike their way across India, their bonding sessions over the bike learning lessons and a peek into their current urban lifestyles. It was interesting to get to know the women behind the voices – to know that Shalmali wants to move beyond being known as the ‘Balam Pichkari’ girl, to see Akasa taking her mother pillion on a bike ride, see Anusha being cooked a loving dinner by hubby Sangeet Haldipur, and to see the four bond over a composing session.
The channel could have easily had them go riding on scooties but the Bullet brings in an element of challenge, ruggedness and an assertion that there’s more substance behind the mellifluous voices, and a willingness to stretch physical limits further. Interestingly, an all female crew will track the four in their journey. Even the drummers and guitarists chosen to accompany the four are female. One hopes the off screen bonds between cast and crew will come through on the show as well.
The energy between the four is palpable, their enthusiasm is infectious. Their trysts with bike riding strike a chord with every girl who has struggled to move on beyond riding a bicycle. If the channel’s target audience is the hip urban young woman, the show’s got her by the jugular.
Thus far, it’s been a short insight into the well heeled urban lifestyles of the four musicians. The real fun will be when they get their hands dirty, both literally and figuratively, in the interiors of India where their journeys will take them.
That is when we will know the extent of their grit and the depth of their music. That is when we will know if these angels truly rock.
